Goats become unlikely tool in California’s battle against wildfires

California has been deploying an unlikely tool in its efforts to prevent wildfires – grazing goats.

Herds of the hoofed animals have been unleashed in the western US state to munch flammable vegetation, helping to curb the spread of fires that scientists say are growing in scale and impact due to climate change.

“A site like this is very intensive, there’s a lot of dried brush here,” Alissa Cope, an environmental planner in Glendale tells Agence France-Presse. “There’s a lot of stuff that would have to be hauled out up over the hill by hand. The goats eat it, it’s gone.”